Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Gurtovoi,N - Savko,V [A02]
17th Latvian CC Championship SF, 1992
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.f4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Be2 d5 5.d3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Nbd2 Bg4 8.Qc2 Rc8 9.h3 Bd7 10.Ne5 0-0 11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.Nf3 d4 13.exd4 cxd4 14.c4 b5 15.b3 f6 16.Bd2 e5 17.fxe5 fxe5 18.Ng5!? [Threatening 19.Ne6]

18...Nc5 19.cxb5! Ne7 20.b4 [Stronger is 20.Qc4+ Qd5 21.Bb4!]

20...e4!? [The best practical defence!]

21.bxc5 e3 22.Bc1! [22.Ne6?! is weak because of 22... exd2+ 23.Qxd2 Qe6! 24.Nxf8 Qxg2! unclear.]

22...Nd5 23.Ne4 Qa5+ 24.Kd1 Kh8 [Preventing 25.Qc4]

25.Rb1 Rf2 [If 25... Rf4 26.Rb3!]

26.g3! [Preventing 26... Nf4]

26...Rcf8 27.Rb3! [Not 27.Nxf2? Nc3+!]

27...Rg2 28.a3 Rff2 29.Nxf2 exf2 [White has a superfluous R; however he must play accurately.]

30.Rf1! Rg1 31.Bd2! Ne3+ 32.Kc1! [32.Bxe3?? Rxf1+ 33.Bxf1 Qe1#]

32...Nxf1 33.Bxa5! Ne3+ 34.Kd2 Nxc2 35.Kxc2 Re1 36.Rb1[] Rxe2+ 37.Kb3 Be5 38.b6! axb6 39.cxb6 Bxg3 40.a4! Kg7!? [A better practical defence.]

41.Bb4! Re1 42.Rxe1 [42.Bxe1?? f1=Q!]

42...fxe1Q 43.Bxe1 Bxe1 44.Kc4! [A winning move! 44.b7? Bg3! =+]

44...g5 [Or 44... Ba5 45.Kb5!]

45.Kb5 h5 46.a5 g4 47.hxg4 hxg4 48.a6 g3 49.b7 g2 50.b8Q g1Q [Black also has a Q and a superfluous B, but his position is lost.]

51.Qe5+! Kf7 52.Qd5+ Kg7 53.a7! 1-0